DeKalb county's rocketing highway death
toll reached eight for 1962 early Monday morning with the death of
Richard A. Holdeman, 32 of 211 West Fourth street, Auburn,
Indiana. The death of Mr. Holdeman was the fifth recorded
in the county since Friday, four of them on railroad grade crossings.

The Auburn man died at the Dr. Bonnell M. Souder Hospital in Auburn at
12:20 a.m. Monday from injuries suffered in an auto-train mishap which
also claimed the life of Miss Sally Openlander,22, of 215 1/2 West
Fourth Street, Auburn.

The DeKalb county sheriff, Dorise Likens, who investigated the accident
along with State Troupers Eisenhut, Carpenter and Reese and the DeKalb
county coroner, Dr. Floyd Coleman of Waterloo, said the accident
occurred at 10:20 p.m. Sunday on County Road 26 at the New York Central
railroad crossing. The scene of the mishap is located 3.2 miles
east of Waterloo and approximately 100 feet south of U.S. 6 The
county road veers upward sharply to the crossing and then sharply down
again.

The sheriff said the Auburn young woman was killed instantly in the
collision.

The 1959 Ford four-door owned and driven by Mr. Holdeman was headed
south while the train, a 100-car freight train, was proceeding
west. Investigation at the scene revealed that there were
no skid marks laid down by the car at the crossing indicating that the
car had either stalled at the crossing or had attempted to beat the
train to the crossing.

The car was demolished in the mishap and there was an estimated $500
damage to the engine of the freight train. Sheriff Likens said
the impact had spun the car around and had thrown both occupants from
the car. Miss Openlanders body was thrown approximately 50 feet
from the scene of the crash while Mr. Holdeman was thrown approximately
10 feet further.

The state police reported that the engineer of the train said he had no
chance to avoid hitting the car or of giving a warning of the
crash. The engine crew said they saw no lights from the car
and did not see the vehicle until they were less than 30 feet
from the automobile. They reported that the automobile had nearly
passed over the crossing and that only the extreme rear part
of the car was over the tracks.

The Auburn man was rushed to the hospital in Auburn in the Graffis
ambulance from Waterloo. He suffered multiple fractures to
the right leg, cuts about the head and face, chest and spine injuries
and internal injuries. Miss Openlander was killed instantly
from a fractured skull.

The body of Mr. Holdeman was removed to the Gerig funeral home in
Auburn where friends may call after 7 P.M. Tuesday. Final
arrangements are incomplete but the Rev. Miles A. Freeman will
officiate at the services and burial will be at Woodland Cemetery, near
Auburn.

Mr. Holdeman was born at Great Falls, Montana on Nov. 6, 1918, the son
of Eugene and Josephine Holdeman, with whom he resided in Auburn.
He moved with his parents to Auburn in 1943 and was self-employed as a
broker and buyer of oil field machinery.

Surviving in addition to the parents are two brothers, Robert Holdeman
of 216 North Division street, Auburn, and James Holdeman of Casper,
Wyoming, and a sister, Mrs. Jo Ann Fritz of Houston, Texas.